lucerne

Borrowed from French luzerne, from Occitan luzerno, of uncertain origin.

lucerne (uncountable)

1. (now rare) Alfalfa.
   • 1841, Jesse Buel, The Farmers' Instructor‎^[1], volume 1, Harper and Brothers, pages 202-203:

     I have mixed lucerne, partially cured, in alternate strata with dry barley-straw on the mow, and found that cattle greedily consumed both in winter, when fed out in the yard.

   • 1963, Ronald Hugh Morrieson, The Scarecrow, Text Classics, published 2012, page 14:

     I went and sat in the pile of lucerne hay.

• tree lucerne moth

lucerne f

1. plural of lucerna

From Latin lucerna.

lucerne oblique singular, f (oblique plural lucernes, nominative singular lucerne, nominative plural lucernes)

1. lamp; torch (flame used to provide light)